The Hyperion saga from Dan Simmons. Great scifi books, the second book was the best for me.
Anansi Boys from Neil Gaiman.
I also really liked Jeff Longs 'The Descent'. "A sci-fi/horror book that reimagines Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Dante Alighieri's Inferno by imagining the exploration of a sub-surface world filled with alternately evolved humanoids." NOT to mix with the crappy movie with the same name and some similarities with the plot..
Currently reading Dan Simmons' Ilium, which I'm enjoying quite a bit.
Got a favorite Book?
Dan Simmons did an interesting take on the Iliad and the Odyssey set on mars called Olympos, it is quite good. It is much like Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light in some ways. I like Fritz Lieber's books, I also like L. Sprague De Camp's Reluctant King series which is quite entertaining.
I am Myt where's the cheese dip.
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Serpent's Sister
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Hey Iane - I went to my favorite used book store armed with a list of Authors and titles, hoping to find a few of the books recommended by all of you. There, perched on the shelf was a set of 3 books by Philip Jose Farmer: To Your Scattered Bodies, Fabulous Riverboat and Dark Design. They wanted $15 for all 3 books - when I got them home I found out that they were signed by the author a few pages in on the title page! After a little research I've found that there are quite a few signed copies of various tiltes by Farmer but never the less the books are still worth more than $5 each!! I"m half way thru Scattered Bodies and am really enjoying it. Thanks for the recommendation!
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Serpent's Sister
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euthanatos
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The works of Gene Wolfe, H.P. Lovecraft, & William Faulk
Hello,
I think the works of Gene Wolfe, H.P. Lovecraft, and William Faulkner are worth reading.
* Gene Wolfe's "Fifth Head of Cerberus" and "The Book of the New Sun" are great manuscripts... they are "deep" and take a lot of work on the reader's part to figure out what is really going on, mainly because the narrators of these stories a) assume we are from their world and thus don't explain many things they find "obvious", and b) are unreliable: they purposefully omit details, lie, etc., and thus the reader is forced to decipher the underlying story. These sort of books have spawned large discussion forums simply because they're so open to interpretation.
* The Library of America offers a great compendium of Lovecraft novellas and short stories:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/H-P-Lovecraft-L ... 1931082723
His work is typically dark and eerie, stories of daemons, cults, strange beings, etc. --- true horror and "weird fiction". This compendium is pretty large; it doesn't have every short story he wrote, and some "purists" claim key stories were left out, but I found this compilation to be a great read.
* Finally, Faulkner has a lot of works I enjoyed -- even if you dislike his novels such as The Sound & The Fury, you should try out "The Bear", a short story he wrote in the 40s that is very accessible. It is widely open to interpretation, yet also a very down-to-earth story about hunting, nature, and the (depressing) conversion of America from an agrarian/rural society to an industrialized/urban one.
- Euth
I think the works of Gene Wolfe, H.P. Lovecraft, and William Faulkner are worth reading.
* Gene Wolfe's "Fifth Head of Cerberus" and "The Book of the New Sun" are great manuscripts... they are "deep" and take a lot of work on the reader's part to figure out what is really going on, mainly because the narrators of these stories a) assume we are from their world and thus don't explain many things they find "obvious", and b) are unreliable: they purposefully omit details, lie, etc., and thus the reader is forced to decipher the underlying story. These sort of books have spawned large discussion forums simply because they're so open to interpretation.
* The Library of America offers a great compendium of Lovecraft novellas and short stories:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/H-P-Lovecraft-L ... 1931082723
His work is typically dark and eerie, stories of daemons, cults, strange beings, etc. --- true horror and "weird fiction". This compendium is pretty large; it doesn't have every short story he wrote, and some "purists" claim key stories were left out, but I found this compilation to be a great read.
* Finally, Faulkner has a lot of works I enjoyed -- even if you dislike his novels such as The Sound & The Fury, you should try out "The Bear", a short story he wrote in the 40s that is very accessible. It is widely open to interpretation, yet also a very down-to-earth story about hunting, nature, and the (depressing) conversion of America from an agrarian/rural society to an industrialized/urban one.
- Euth
![Officer [Bronze Rank]](./images/ranks/officer1.png "Officer [Bronze Rank]")
Nice I'll have to go out and buy again and hope for a signed copy - read this like 15 years agoSerpent's Sister wrote:Hey Iane - I went to my favorite used book store armed with a list of Authors and titles, hoping to find a few of the books recommended by all of you. There, perched on the shelf was a set of 3 books by Philip Jose Farmer: To Your Scattered Bodies, Fabulous Riverboat and Dark Design. They wanted $15 for all 3 books - when I got them home I found out that they were signed by the author a few pages in on the title page! After a little research I've found that there are quite a few signed copies of various tiltes by Farmer but never the less the books are still worth more than $5 each!! I"m half way thru Scattered Bodies and am really enjoying it. Thanks for the recommendation!
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Ricochet64
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Tomereader
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Something new you said
these are all from the last couple of years (UK publication dates)
The lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (second book out too)
Winterbirth by brian Ruckley
The new Stephen Erikson book Reapers Gale (book 7)
In the Eye of heaven by David Keck
The year of our war by Steph Swainston
Scott Baker's the darkness that comes before
The long Price by Daniel Abraham
And an oldy that has been rereleased, Glen Cooks A cruel Wind (dark empire omnibus edition)
These are all fairly different and I have picked them out from my bookshelf as I write this, there are plenty of good suggestions from other members to keep you going.
For something non fantasy I really recomend The shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
these are all from the last couple of years (UK publication dates)
The lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (second book out too)
Winterbirth by brian Ruckley
The new Stephen Erikson book Reapers Gale (book 7)
In the Eye of heaven by David Keck
The year of our war by Steph Swainston
Scott Baker's the darkness that comes before
The long Price by Daniel Abraham
And an oldy that has been rereleased, Glen Cooks A cruel Wind (dark empire omnibus edition)
These are all fairly different and I have picked them out from my bookshelf as I write this, there are plenty of good suggestions from other members to keep you going.
For something non fantasy I really recomend The shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Gods it's wet here
Larry Niven - Ringworld, etc.
Cordwainer Smith, Norstrilia and some shorts, he died too soon.
Anne McCaffery, Dragonworld and Crystal Singer series
Almost all of Stephen King, notably excepting Misery.
Lawrence Block, all of the Matthew Scudder books.
Oh, and of course Frank Herbert, almost everything he wrote, Dune series especially. Make a big pass on his son's attempt to take Dune farther.
Cordwainer Smith, Norstrilia and some shorts, he died too soon.
Anne McCaffery, Dragonworld and Crystal Singer series
Almost all of Stephen King, notably excepting Misery.
Lawrence Block, all of the Matthew Scudder books.
Oh, and of course Frank Herbert, almost everything he wrote, Dune series especially. Make a big pass on his son's attempt to take Dune farther.
I think everyone should at least try to read classic works of literature, such as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Camus, etc.
Crime & Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a great classic and a fun read, although Brothers Karamazov might technically be better.
The Stranger by Albert Camus is pure greatness.
I'll also throw in my hat with the Lovecraft crew, he really mastered the art of creating creepy and unsettling atmosphere, rather than cheap thrill ride horror.
Crime & Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a great classic and a fun read, although Brothers Karamazov might technically be better.
The Stranger by Albert Camus is pure greatness.
I'll also throw in my hat with the Lovecraft crew, he really mastered the art of creating creepy and unsettling atmosphere, rather than cheap thrill ride horror.
The classics are wonderful in some ways. A lot of them are just the most popular books of their day. I find some of the Roman and Greek writings far better than the classics. I am not big on some of them.
The Brothers Karamazov is the best book by Doestoevsky. It is very very long however.
Everyone should read the original War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, and 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. These are truly great works of science fiction.
Also, the Roman book, The Golden Ass by Apuleius is one of the best fantasy books ever written, both funny and baudy. A man has a dalliance with a witches daughter and the witch turns him into a donkey. He wanders around trying to figure out how to become human again. Quite funny.
The original Aesop's fables are also well worth reading if you can get a translation which is not cleaned up too much.
I also like the Lives of the Twelves Caesars by Suetonius. The section on Caligula is absolutely marvelous, probably one of the best descriptions in literature of an insane emperor.
The Brothers Karamazov is the best book by Doestoevsky. It is very very long however.
Everyone should read the original War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, and 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. These are truly great works of science fiction.
Also, the Roman book, The Golden Ass by Apuleius is one of the best fantasy books ever written, both funny and baudy. A man has a dalliance with a witches daughter and the witch turns him into a donkey. He wanders around trying to figure out how to become human again. Quite funny.
The original Aesop's fables are also well worth reading if you can get a translation which is not cleaned up too much.
I also like the Lives of the Twelves Caesars by Suetonius. The section on Caligula is absolutely marvelous, probably one of the best descriptions in literature of an insane emperor.
I am Myt where's the cheese dip.
Mieville is a rare talent, and Perdido was his masterpiece. Sequels not quite up to that high standard. Agree with others re Williams, Martin, Pratchett, Gaimen, Morgan. Surprised that no-one has mentioned Peter Hamilton's Nights Dawn trilogy. And for a slightly less well known author, R Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy is an almost intellectual fantasy you might like since you enjoyed Mieville.Serpent's Sister wrote:Have you ever read any of China Mieville's books? They are unlike anything I have ever read - fantastic! Start with "Perdido Street Station" if you are ever looking for something new.
Cheers
Greg
I find China Mieville's books to be well written, but his social commentary which he peppers throughout the books gets on my nerves. You have to play close attention to catch it, however.
I really like the young adult novel he wrote, there is a lot less commentary, also there are a lot of illlustrations by him in black and white. The title is Un Lun Dun.
I really like the young adult novel he wrote, there is a lot less commentary, also there are a lot of illlustrations by him in black and white. The title is Un Lun Dun.
I am Myt where's the cheese dip.